Rollei TLR Filters and Filter Storage

Before my question - thanks a lot for answering my rollei system (mostly) newbie questions

I picked up a few black and white filters for my camera, just the same ones i've been shooting for years but in the Rollei Bay II format. I've noticed with the ones i've gotten all of them appear to be loose in the filter ring - that is to say the glass element moves around a little in there. Is that normal, and does it indicate the thing's about to fall apart? You only really notice it when you're cleaning them but they spin and move.

Is there a good way you all have to carry your rollei filters? Those little leather holsters are great but it's impossible to tell them apart and i don't want to mark them up. Same question for rolleinars.

I've struggled with this for years with Hasselblad filters and have always just used the square plastic holders despite the amount of space they take up. I recently picked up a couple of filter wallets to try out (1 by mindshift and one by tiffen). I'm a little worried about the wear and tear they might put on the filter glass but i haven't used them much yet.

Is there any thing worth looking in to for the Rollei filters and rollinars (including their leather filter coffin if that works well). I'm looking for something reasonably flexible that'll keep everything safe and in one place.

Well I have a mere Yashica TLR, but I've made two attempts at a do-it-yourself filter case and I can see a third may happen some day! (This was Bay I stuff.) I began with a plastic fly box from the fishing tackle/outdoor store (Cabela's in this case), stripped the internal gizmos and cut some layers of craft foam to hold the filters reasonably snugly.

The problem is I wanted to have it also hold a lens hood, which required a deeper box. My second attempt used a two-sided container in which I drilled (with a hole saw) a circular cutout to allow the hood to occupy both sides. It worked, but the particular family of boxes has a sexy radius on all the corners so one can't fully utilize the interior space. That makes it just a little larger than I hoped it would be. Back in the 19-ought-sixties there were electronic stores that had various hinged plastic boxes to use for "projects" which were much more squared off and rectangular, but alas, I've not yet found The One. There are some shallower fly boxes that would probably work if one skipped the lens hood requirement.

Anyway, if you're into DIY projects:


(Reverse side -- black rimmed items are a Plus 1 set.)
The foam is multiple layers of craft foam, cut with an Exacto knife and glued in with double-sided tape.
It's just a bit less pocket-able than I would have liked.

That's a pretty good looking setup Dave, thanks for sharing!

The loose glass is standard. There is a thin metal spring underneath the glass- spring metal washer with waves in it, basically. I don't know the real reasoning behind this. The result, whatever the reasoning, is that the glass is always indexed against one surface; I hope that this surface is pretty true to the lens center. It avoids compressing the glass in the metal frame. Also allows for filters of different thickness to fit in the same frame.

The frame is two pieces. A ring on the front that threads into the main back body. You can open them up by compressing between two rubber washers and unscrewing (sometimes lighter pressure is better!).

There is a small Nalgene plastic container- a round flip top pill box- that holds a Rolleinar II nicely, maybe a little thin padding on the sides. Look at camping stores and The Container Store if you have one nearby.

Heliopan sell different filter cases.
The one they sell their filters in is of the drawer type, has dove-tail rims to couple boxes and has a break-off flap for hanging.
Another version likely lacks the rims but has lesser height (for slim filters).

When I go out with my Rollei I typically want to go "light", i.e. just the camera, one roll or two in the pocket, plus one orange filter (boxed) if I shoot B&W. Long or short strap according to the mood. That's all.
If I want the orange filter I just swap it with the UV/protection filter, so one filter is permanently on the camera.

You mentioned Hasselblad filters: when I take the Hassy I always carry it in a backpack, and just leave all filters "loose" in the top pocket (each in its own box of course).

Rollei made a neat leather case that holds 4 filters, two Rolleinar sets, and a hood

There are old leather cases for filters, close-up lenses and maybe hoods, that have slits to twine onto a camera strap.